P3 overall rating as a factory built car this is going to be the definitive ”as it is” rating which will reflect how focused the car is to accomplishing the task we care about most… Driving. This rating shall only be given after a car is driven in it’s factory issued form. A drive shall be termed as one of the P3 project editors (at this Time either Tim or Jordan). The car will be driven in dry conditions and for a mixed period of driving. This rating will take into account the cars performance, attributes, aesthetic, desirability and subjective durability over the course of the test.
P3 overall rating as a tuned car here our rating won’t be given until the car has either A. been modified to a level that has increased the cars performance in multiple notable ways , or at the end of the project car’s test life, not to exceed 1 year. This rating will deal with how completely the mods we were able to install, fabricate, find, etc. have changed the car’s character into a more focus driving machine. Any car not improved by modification at the end of it’s life can receive a negative star status… which is unlikely, but we might as well set some ground rules here.
build quality This is going to be a 1 to 5 star scale on how well the car is put together.
appearance This is a subjective category and, while we may not agree, we are here to let you know P3 sees as beautiful. There will be times when you won’t agree with this or many of the ratings. We are hear to help you make the best car decision, and without this you may never know that you are the only one that thinks your pontiac aztec is cool. It is not . Grading will be from 1 to 5 stars
handling We will be using multiple accelerometers as well as subjective “how does it feel” and “what messages is the suspension giving me” to create a 1 to 5 star assessment of each car.
drivetrain Here we will subjectively asses the motor and transmission. We will focus on how consistent power delivery is. How well the gear ratios work with the power band. Cruising sound levels, and how the car runs in general over the course of our test. 1 to 5 stars will be given.
brakes Here again we will use accelerometers to gauge actual force. We will asses fade at speed and how easy the pedal is to modulate. We shall grade each cars brakes on a scale of 5 stars.
p3 passion meter You could think of this as the drool meter. How likely is this car to incite riots. How likely are you to loose sleep over this car because you can’t get it out of your head. 1 to 5 stars.
P3 parts meter How available are parts for this car. After we try them all , we will revise at the end of our test. Because , as we have proven , the existence doesn’t mean they should be installed on anyones car.
-P3 staff